Random Access

Wednesday – 15 June 2011
Midweek. Thank Heaven…

And, thank Heaven for the local Beans & Brews; I’ve returned to my old coffee shop while Pinup Girl Espresso is “on hiatus.”  Did you hear that, IHC?  “On. Hiatus.”  The ball’s in your court now. Let’s see some machinery and equipment on that lot, so that I can get my neighborhood coffee shop back.

*stares menacingly at IHC*

Last night was low-key. SaraRules! and I started some of the moves that will eventually allow the current guest room to become the nursery. There’s still a good bit of work and moving to be done, but we’ve at least made a start.

Today is new comics day.  (Good.)  And, it’s also  game night… although, I may have to skip it: I have passes to see Green Lantern.  Whether or not I am one of the lucky ones who makes it into the theatre has yet to be seen.

Stray Toasters

• I started playing Words with Friends yesterday. Within minutes of announcing it on Facebook, I was elbow-up in game requests.
• The 2011 Summer Style Upgrade
• Apple starts selling unlocked iPhones in U.S.
• 
• Thanks to , I now have an Audible.com account. Why do I credit (or blame) him: Because he showed me the link to Go the F–k to Sleep… as read by Samuel L. Jackson.
  • …and it is HILARIOUS.
  • …and the hardcover book is now on The Covet List.
• F.D.A. Unveils New Rules About Sunscreen Claims
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Man Builds His Own Iron Man Suit, Wears It In to Work
• Yeah… I’d probably do something like this, too:

  

• Lead Poisoning in China: The Hidden Scourge
• $4 gas a thing of the past, at least for now
• Mobius Ship

Namaste.

Tuesday – 14 June 2011
Today is Flag Day.

And, even though it’s Tuesday, it’s another day chock full o’ meetings. Whoop-de-damn-doo!

Last night, I attempted to conquer the front lawn… as a thunderstorm loomed in the not-to-distant sky. (I managed to finish before it became a torrential downpour.) After that, I deemed that it was going to be a lazy night in. SaraRules! and I spent the evening watching Top Gear (UK) and the various versions of House Hunters.

Sidenote: Apparently House Hunters, like Law & Order before it, has enough spin-offs for me to start tagging them like Star Trek series:

• House Hunters: TOS
• House Hunters International: TNG
• House Hunters on Vacation: DS9

Just saying…

And, I read a bit more of Sixkill, which has been quite good.

Stray Toasters

• An Effort to Foster Tolerance in Religion
• Heart with No Beat Offers Hope of New Lease on Life
• On College Forms, A Question of Race, or Races, Can Perplex
• 
• Army soldiers ditch hated berets, in favor of caps
  This would have made Jess happy, I think.  As I recall, she was a little… irritated… when it was announced that all Army troops were making the switch to berets, as prior to that, berets signified special forces and/or special assignment troops.
• IMF latest victim of “major” cyberattack, breach
• Is it bad that this is how I picture Sarah Palin’s Paul Revere snafu from a couple of weeks ago:

  

• I came across a couple of interesting articles related to this summer’s comic book movies:
  • Green Lantern: The Truth About Black and Green
  • Genocide and bubblegum – X-Men: First Class review
• Superstars Never Guessed the Size of ‘Spider-Man’ Challenges

Sunday – 12 June 2011
It’s been a great day, so far… and it’s barely half done.

Last night, SaraRules! and I saw Super 8.

It’s definitely a classic J.J. Abrams production, in the vein of Cloverfield.  That said, I’ve seen enough variations in Mr. Abrams’ style to feel comfortable saying that I don’t think that he will become the same kind of one-trick pony that M. Night Shayamalan appears to have become.

This morning, I managed to sleep in (until 0830) and then decided to take a nice hot soak, while SaraRules! slept. After that, we got ready to meet Swiz and Logan at Wheeler Historic Farm for a visit to the opening of the Wasatch Front Farmers Market. It was a small affair – about 1/4 to 1/3 the size of the Downtown Farmers Market – but it was nice. We think that it’s still a little early in the season for vegetables, so there should be some growth as Spring moves into Summer. After wandering around the Market, we strolled around the animal areas for a bit. (It wasn’t the longest or most strenuous walk ever, but I’m counting it as today’s exercise.)

After we left Wheeler Farm, SaraRules! and I headed to Old Mill Park to take a look at the Spring run-off. I made a short video of it.

I’m not sure what the rest of the day holds in store… aside from a trip to The Garden of Sweden.

Stray Toasters

• I like this poster. Too bad it’s only available to the movie crew.
• Black Eyed Peas Rapper Forgets Lyrics in France
• As if I wasn’t going to pick up the book already, John Stewart will co-headline Green Lantern Corps, when the title “reboots” in September:

  

  John will share the lead with Guy Gardner, another Earth-based GL. It will be interesting to see how – and if – they play off the dichotomy of the two personalities: John, being more analytical and reserved, versus Guy’s brash, in-your-face attitude.

• WATCHPONIES: Watchmen/My Little Pony mash-up
• Big Shiny Robot’s Clobber-Tron interviews Cassandra Peterson, a.k.a. Elvira, Mistress of the Dark
• Reasons people were arrested at Toronto G20

That’s good for now.  Time to get out and enjoy the rest of the day…

Namaste.

Saturday – 11 June 2011
Yesterday was my youngest sister’s birthday:

Yesterday was also my 9/80 day off. And it was a good day. I started with a short trip to the gym. (This is almost getting to be a habit…)

• Elliptical: 15 minutes, ~5.75 MPH pace
• Bench press: 3 sets/8 reps — 2 sets @ 135, 1 set @ 155
• Curls (dumbbells, seated): 3 sets/10 reps, 25 lbs
• Shoulder Press (dumbbells, seated): 3 sets/10 reps, 35 lbs
• Compound Row: 3 sets/10 reps, 125 lbs.

Back home to get cleaned up and then I was off to Porcupine Pub and Grille for lunch with my friend, Emily. We’d not seen each other in a couple of years, so there was a fair bit of catching up to do. Next I popped in to say “Hi” to and .

Then… it was off to meet SaraRules! for another appointment with her doctor. Only, the doctor was “out,” as she got called to the hospital to deliver a baby. So, we met with a nurse instead. She checked on the babies and gave us a thumbs-up on their progress.

I made it back home (by way of The Train Shoppe) and played a bit of Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters before we went out to meet the usual suspects for Clitorati.

This morning, following a series of disturbing dreams and fitful sleep, I found myself awake at 0630. Rather than toss and turn in bed, I made my way to the couch and watched TV. I actually got to see The Rifleman (1, 2) for the first time in ages. Then, the TV started watching me, as I nodded in and out of sleep for the next hour-and-a-half.

Stray Toasters

• Gail, Jill and Babs: A Conversation about Oracle and Batgirl
• iCloud’s legal complaint
• Leonard B. Stern, Creator of Mad Libs, Dies at 88
• An A-Z of incredible uses for everyday things
• 
• Legends of the Joystick
• “Vampire” Stars Found in Heart of Our Galaxy
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Contortionist Hides in Suitcase to Steal from Bus Passengers
• Buried in Anonymity, and Ignominy, Too
• Borders tries to avoid closing 51 more stores
• 
• Citi Data Theft Points Up a Nagging Problem

Namaste.

Thursday – 09 June 2011
Another NBN Technical Friday is upon us. Amen. It looks like it’s going to be a clear, sunny day. That doesn’t exactly hurt my feelings.

Last night, SaraRules! and I had dinner with Ron and a couple of his coworkers, Linda and Kathy. We ate at The Pie Pizzeria. I’ve long been of the opinion that pizza from The Pie is “good,” but I’m not as head-over-heels about it as some of my friends. I think that I know at least part of “why” I’ve had a problem in the past: I have most often had their “Mountain of Meat” pizza, which tends to be a bit… messy… and greasy. And, while filling, it sits heavily in your stomach. Last night’s pizza (or, rather, my half of it) had pepperoni, sausage and green peppers. It went down easily and was filling, without being “too heavy.” I’m fairly confident in saying that it was probably my most pleasurable experience eating a pizza there. After dinner, Ron came over and hung out with us for a while. SaraRules!, he and I sat around trading stories until late in the evening. It was a good end to a good day.

Stray Toasters

• Today is the 96th Anniversary of Les Paul‘s birthday.
  Today’s Google doodle (on the “Classic” home page) is an interactive homage to that.

  …and…

• Straight from the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” and the “Good Cause for a Bad Situation” files: Commission a Sketch to Help Pay Legal Fees of Girl Who Refused to Cheer Her Attacker
• Peanutweeter
• After soldiers’ video goes viral, more bags will fly free
  • Delta apologizes after charging soldiers $2,800 for bags
• Drug makes hearts repair themselves
• By way of :

• Homeless Veterans Sue Over Neglected Campus
• New elements added to chemistry’s periodic table
• Soaring inflation? Not with 9% unemployment
• This made me laugh:

  

• The Walking Dead Action Figures
  • Actors Playing With Themselves: Actors With Action Figures
• Sun uncorks a massive solar blast
• Lockdown High: How schools put the emphasis on crime, security and violence instead of freedom and education
• Citigroup FAQ: What we know about the attack

Namaste.

Wednesday – 08 June 2011
Today is my brother-in-law, ‘s birthday.

..and I neglected to mention that yesterday was my friend, Josh’s, birthday, also. D’oh!

Last night, we celebrated ‘s birthday with the in-laws. Dinner. Presents. Cake. It was a good evening. On the way home, SaraRules! and I stopped at the local Best Buy; I needed wanted to pick up Green Lantern: Emerald Knights.  SaraRules! picked up a Guitar Hero game and, somehow, I wound up also getting the brand-spankin’ new Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters for my 360.

Once we got settled in at home, we fired up Emerald Knights. It was well-done. Hell, if the live-action movie is half… okay, three-quarters… as good as this was, I’ll be pleased. Emerald Knights is an anthology piece, with six stories that are woven together throughout the film… which appears to fall somewhere in the middle of the events of Green Lantern: First Flight. The writers did a good job of creating a “new” overarching story, while adeptly intertwining some newly-animated classic GL lore into the tale. There were some familiar names/voices attached to this project, including:

• Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Castle) as Hal Jordan
• Jason Isaacs (“Harry Potter” films) as Sinestro
• Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) as Arisia
• Henry Rollins (yes, “that” Henry Rollins) as Kilowog

For me, it was a good way to wind down the day.

Stray Toasters

• I felt more baby-wiggling last night. They were – or at least one of them was – pretty active.
• “Six.”
• From the “This Is an Awesome Reaction” file: Movie theater shames F-word texter
  • Added bonus: Here’s the PSA they did…

• Secret Origins: John Stewart
• Inbox Influence: Your new favorite email tool since the spam filter
• 
• Steven Spielberg and Quint have an epic chat all about JAWS as it approaches its 36th Anniversary!
• RSA Faces Angry Users After Breach
• By way of :

  

• Cycle and Style: A Sweet Ride
• Would you buy a digital comics subscription?
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:
  • Smurfs accused of antisemitism and racism
  • Two Women Ticketed for Eating Doughnuts in Brooklyn Playground
  • You Can Now Get Your Ph.D in Manga
• 
• DC Comics has dropped new information about The Next Generation of Justice in the post-updated DCU.
• 2 gamblers take Tropicana casino for more than $11M
  • Four ‘worst mistakes you can make in Las Vegas’

Quote of the Day
As I noted yesterday, Folsom Prison Blues is one of my niece’s favorite songs, which is made more amusing by the fact that she’s only three… unless you’re my sister, who finds it appalling.

That being said, my brother-in-law sent me the following last night:

coda to yesterday’s lecture:
your niece tonight was singing her song
then she asks me to sing
so i start singing
I HEAR THE TRAIN A COMIN’
gracie: “no no no no no daddy, that’s wrong!”
me…wha?  no it’s not
“yes daddy it is wrong”
ok sweetheart, how does it start?
“like this, daddy. ‘hello, i’m johnny cash.'”
i stand corrected, child.  proceed.

Ladies and gentlemen… my family.

Namaste.

Monday – 06 June 2011
I won’t lie: I didn’t want to get out of bed this morning. It wasn’t that I was dreading the work day. Nor was it that I had a particularly busy/hectic day yesterday. I just didn’t feel any sense of urgency about getting up and on the way this morning. But, I did… and here we are.

Yesterday was a relaxed day. Ron came over in the morning, and took SaraRules! and me to breakfast. We opted for a place with a local flavor, so we chose Ruth’s Diner. Ron liked it. (Which was a plus.) We drove up Emigration Canyon into and down Parley’s Canyon, heading back into the valley. We also drove along Wasatch Blvd, to afford Ron a good look at the valley.

Later in the afternoon, the three of us and a few of the usual suspects went to see X-Men: First Class.

Right off the bat, I’ll say that I enjoyed it. No, it wasn’t the “First Class” that I think of when I think of the X-Men (Angel, Beast, Cyclops, Iceman and Marvel Girl)…

…but it was a good roster for the movie continuity. While not set in the Marvel 616 Universe continuity, they were able to do different things to introduce new characters. For example, their take on Sebastian Shaw, Black King of the Hellfire Club, had a nice twist… and one that also connected him to another character in the film. There were also a few nice “easter eggs,” including [REDACTED].

All told, it was a good “preboot” for the movie version of the X-Universe. The actors were good — I especially enjoyed Michael Fassbender’s take on a young Magneto. It moved well (despite compressing a couple of subplots in the interest of time). And, it was just plain fun.

For dinner, SaraRules! grilled steaks and vegetables. And they were good. Very good. “Bring it in for lunch today” good. We wound up the evening watching 2001: A Space Odyssey. I’m not really sure what to say about this other than, I’m putting it in the same category as Regina: I’m willing to read the book to see if the end is any more coherent.

Stray Toasters

• Q&A: The New X-Men Costumes Are Body Suits You’ll Want
• HALO 4 announcement may have been leaked…
• Chow Truck!
• Ohio woman, 100, still uses bank account dating to 1913
• A few friends have posted this image on their Facebook pages; I like it:

  

• Texas Still Has Its Rustlers, and Men in White Hats Chasing Them
• How doctors first noticed the existence of AIDS
• Student cites freedom of speech after suspension for online videos
• Bend Me, Shape Me: The Heavy Metal Version

On to lunch!

Namaste.

Sunday – 05 June 2011
I was caught in the middle of a struggle for the past two-and-a-half hours. It’s definitely not a fight that I would have chosen to be part of, but sometimes, we don’t get to choose.

The fight was between sleep and being awake.

It may sound rather silly, but it’s true. I was awake – for no discernable reason – a few minutes after 0600. I tried going back to sleep, but only managed to stare at the walls. And the ceiling. And the window. I did manage to nod off again, though. For about twenty minutes. Then it became “Lather. Rinse. Repeat.” …for the next two hours. I’d finally manage to fall asleep, only to wake up – again, for no reason – and the cycle would repeat. Annoying. Hopefully, it’s not a harbinger of how the rest of the day will go.

There are a couple of bright spots in the day, though:

1. It’s National Cancer Survivors Day

   

2. SaraRules! and I get to hang out with our friend, Ron, today.

Yesterday was a good day. It started off with a trip to one of the local churches for a Boy Scout pancake breakfast and car show. The food was good and there were a lot of nice cars to look at. When we got back, I had some time to kill, so I decided to mow the lawn. When I finished that, it was time to get clean and ready to meet Chris and Alex. We stopped off for (second) breakfast before heading to Dr. Volt’s. There was another good turnout – we had fifteen players. After the game, I came home to get SaraRules! and we headed to Pawit’s Royale Thai Cuisine for dinner. (SaraRules! dropped into Dr. Volt’s to say “Hi” earlier… and informed me that I was taking her out for Thai.) I had a dish whose name I can’t recall, but it reminded me of Pho. And it was VERY good. After dinner, we wound down the night with some TV and a game of Trivial Pursuit. It was a long game; SaraRules! edged me out for the win.

Stray Toasters

• Sixkill is sitting on the kitchen counter. I’m excited – and a little sad – to read it. It’s the last of the Spenser books that Robert B. Parker wrote before passing away last year. The series will continue, with a writer who’s collaborated with Parker on a number of works. I just hope that he doesn’t run the franchise into the ground.
• For the Jobless, Little U.S. Help on Foreclosure
• I finished watching Astonishing X-Men: Gifted, the Marvel motion comic last night, via Netflix.

  

  It was presented in six episodes, each covering the six issues of the “Gifted” storyline, by Joss Whedon. It was… interesting… in a good way. It was well-done and enjoyable. My only complaint was that a couple of the voices didn’t seem “right” for a couple of characters.

• The History of a Cheap Dress
• Focusing on the Social, Minus the Media
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: LeVin gets house arrest after undisclosed setttlement
• Gaming Made Me: Colossal Cave Adventure
• Wow.

…right on to the friction of the day.

Namaste.

Friday – 03 June 2011
The weekend is mere hours away…

And it’s a sunny day out there. Hopefully, it lasts until I can get outside to enjoy it.

Last night, I achieved a new milestone in the “Hey, we’ve got babies on the way!” event: I felt one of the kids (I’m fairly certain that it was “Baby B”) kick for the first time.  It was neat. A little later in the evening, I felt a little more activity… but not sure which one it was.

After going out and running a few errands – including a walk through/around the local mall for some exercise –  SaraRules! and I stopped at Farr’s Fresh for some ice cream before heading home for the evening. We flipped channels for a bit and wound up finding Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1, 2) on TCM. That’s right a classic Japanese monster movie, featuring Godzilla, Mothra and Rodan. BAM! That’s what we wound up watching for our evening’s entertainment.

This morning, I woke up with Barenaked Ladies’ If I Had $1000000 in my head. I’m good with that.

Stray Toasters

• Judge cancels NFL mediation, says sides engaged in ‘settlement’ talks
• A Double Helix of Art and Science
• Neil Peart to perform drum solo on Late Show with David Letterman
• MI6 attacks Al-Qaeda in ‘Operation Cupcake’
• From today’s Courting Disaster:

  

• Multicultural Celebrations
• Is America’s love affair with kids waning?
• James Arness dies at 88
• From the “SkyNet is now online…” file: Police Robot Burns Down Mobile Home with Gas Grenades
• E-mail Fraud Hides Behind Friendy Face
• There’s a new addition to The Covet List.
• Post-Relaunch “Green Lantern” Titles Details Released
  • The New DCU may be many things, but don’t call it a ‘reboot’
  • Sorry I’m Late
• Guess who’s back…
  More Tomb Raider Videos

• ‘Dr. Death’ Jack Kevorkian dies at age 83
  • Verge Q+A: Dr. Jack Kevorkian
• Moody’s Warns of Downgrade for U.S. Credit
• “Pilot Cam”

Namaste.

Thursday – 02 June 2011
Another “Day of Thor” (look it up) is upon us. I’m hoping that it follows the appropriate “No Bad News” protocol. That would be a “good” thing.

This morning, I woke up with the opening theme from Love, Sidney in my head. I have no idea “why,” as the show hasn’t been on the air in over 20 (nearly 30) years. Granted, I’m a fan of some of Tony Randall’s work, but why not the theme from The Odd Couple?! As Dr. Rosenblatt would say, “It’s so bizarre…!”

Last night, I had forgotten that SaraRules! was going to a presentation of Die Walkure, presented by Fathom Events at the local cinemaplex. As had to postpone our D&D game, this meant that I was left to my own devices to find something to do. I wound up doing the dishes and some laundry. (*shrug* It needed to be done…) I also went to the gym. There was a brief internal struggle about did I really want to go, but it was overruled by the “You need to go” camp. It’s still slow-going, but at least I’m doing something:

• Elliptical: 15 minutes, approx 5.5 MPH pace
• Bench Press: 3 sets/8 reps, 135 lbs
• Curls (dumbbell, seated): 3 sets/10 reps, 25 lbs
• Shoulder Press (dumbbell, seated): 3 sets/10 reps, 35 lbs
• Compound Row: 3 sets/10 reps, 125 lbs
• Reverse Fly: 3 sets/10 reps, 50 lbs

I was quite happy to be done with the workout… while kind of looking forward to getting into the gym again. Go figure.

When I got back home, I treated myself to a little DVR fare while waiting for SaraRules! to get in. I’m almost up to the season finale of Human Target. (And I’m still wishing that USA or some other channel would pick it up next season.)

Stray Toasters

• It’s finally starting to look and feel like we’re actually moving into Summer around here.

• Thanks to for sending the link to A Gallery of Superhero Pictograms
• For SaraRules! and Melissa S.: Gonna Fly Soon: A ‘Rocky’ Musical Is Moving Ahead
• Is sharing a log-in a criminal act?
• 
• NBA center Shaquille O’Neal announces his retirement
• My friend, Joe Tomasone, has started a new technology blog: All That Tech. Go check it out.
• New Green Lantern Featurette Explains Oath, Ring, Lantern
• Comic Book Math: DC to Renumber Series, Starting Again with No. 1
  • DC Unveils Creators and Covers for First Relaunch Wave
  • Let me just say: I like the new-to-be costume for Wonder Woman.  Of course, I like the Jim Lee redesign that’s been running in current issues of the title, too… sans jacket.
• Shuttles, Turning Sedentary, Leave Pieces Behind for Science and Safety
• The Line, It Is Drawn
• Meetings! YAY!

And now… lunch!

Namaste.

Tuesday – 31 May 2011
I don’t know if this is Mother Nature’s parting gift or the setup for an incredibly cruel joke, but it’s a lovely morning. It’s sunny and clear, temps are in the 50s, on their way to the mid-70s. Everything about it says “Today’s going to be a great day.” Yet, my inner cynic is still waiting for the other metaphorical meteorological shoe to drop.

Yesterday was a fairly quiet, low-key day. SaraRules! and I did get a little productivity in, though. We added some new items to the baby registry. We looked at tile for the new bathroom. And, we discovered a new place to eat. Well, it’s not really “new,” as much as it’s “new to us:” Mama’s Plantation Restaurant, in the Midvale Family Center (near the Wal-Mart). had mentioned it a while back, but SaraRules! and I never got to visit it at its old location in Taylorsville. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that it wound up in our extended neighborhood. The food and the service were good. The pricing may be a little on the steep side, but it was a nice change of pace and someplace we will revisit.

…and tonight: Guys Night Out.

Stray Toasters

• Today is apparently World No Tobacco Day (1, 2)
  • World No Tobacco Day: Does it really help people quit smoking?
• Arts-Funding Site Gets ‘Kickstart’ from Business Bids
• Sheryl Sandberg: Why We Have Too Few Female Leaders
• 
• Suspended in Space, 103 Stories Above Chicago
• By way of SaraRules! and the “I have had it with these motherfucking snakes on this motherfucking plane train!” file: Vietnam on alert for smugglers after deadly snakes found on train
• Retailers Offer Apps With a Catalog Feel
• 
• Who’s to blame when gas costs $1 than last year?
• Housing Index Is Expected to Show New Low in Prices

On with the show…

Namaste.

Monday – 30 May 2011
Today is Memorial Day.

Please take time to remember those who have fallen in the line of duty to protect the freedoms that we hold dear.

This has been a good weekend. Saturday, I took Ron up to Clearfield to see the O-Gauge layout at Almosta Junction. My friend, Dee, met us there. One of the guys from Almosta offered to fire up a train and let it run. We took him up on it. After hanging around for a while, Ron and I headed back to SLC and over to shockpuppet and ‘s place for their summer kickoff barbecue. Mother Nature, however, had other ideas. The party wound up moving inside… but it was just as much fun. (And far less wet.)

Sunday was a sleeping-in day. I made it to 9:30. It was also a fairly lazy day, which came under the heading of “not a bad thing.” SaraRules! and I picked up Ron and headed up to the in-laws’ for dinner. After we ate, we watched a movie called Wild Target. It was a funny romp about a hit man who’s not-s0-sure he wants to stay in the business… and the problems he has completing his last assignment. While my FIL and MIL had seen it before, none of the rest of us had. It was quite worth a viewing.

Stray Toasters

• How to Observe Memorial Day Weekend
  • Forgetting Why We Remember, courtesy of
• microkosmic, by way of

  

• Painful workarounds from computer novices
• Review: ‘Wonder Woman’ Pilot
• 100,000 People (Including Princess Leia) Still Recieve Electoshock Therapy Each Year?
• Cleaning Up Japan’s Radioactive Mess with Blue Goo

Namaste.

Saturday – 28 May 2011
The sun is up and playing Hide and Seek among the clouds. This is good.

Last night, SaraRules! and I, along with our friends Marie and Josh, had an evening out. We had dinner at Settebello (all of us had variations of the same pizza), dessert at Capo and then attended Utah Symphony’s final concert of the 2010-11 season:

The program consisted of:

• Charles Ives – Three Places in New England
• Richard Strauss – Four Last Songs
• Igor Stravinsky – Le Sacre du printemps

I’d not heard the Ives nor the Strauss pieces before. The Ives was a chaotic and frenetic piece; it was the aural equivalent of a hurricane. Yet, in the midst of the storm, Maestro Fischer did a fantastic job of  coordinating the musicians. If Three Places in New England was the leading edge of the hurricane, Four Last Songs was the calm eye of the storm. The movements were melodic and serene. Soloist Janice Chandler Eteme‘s performance was beautiful and very well-received — very nearly the entire hall gave her a standing ovation, with three curtain calls. The program closed with La Sacre du printemps (“The Rite of Spring”), another hectic and wildly energetic piece. As the symphony played, I realized that this piece is, in my opinion, one of the musical compositions that should be experienced as a live performance.

During and after the performance, I pondered Director Fischer’s choices for the selections used in this concert. I found there to be something of a counterpoint to the selections — the upbeat and chaotic sounds of Three Places and Rite, contrasted against the mellow tones of Four Last Songs. I also came to the conclusion that ending the season with pieces as energetic as Three Places and The Rite of Spring was akin to ending the season with a very emphatic exclamation point. It closed the season on a very strong  note, so to speak — showing that even at the end of a season, Utah Symphony was able to end things with a bang.

All told, the concert was a fine finish to Maestro Fischer’s first season as Music Director and was an excellent end to Utah Symphony’s season.

Stray Toasters

• Gil Scott-Heron, Poet and Musician, Has Died
  • Poet, musician Gil Scott-Heron dies
  • In Memoriam: Gil Scott-Heron, “The People’s Poet”
• Ow. Yesterday’s workout is now having its revenge upon me.
• RSA SecurID breach linked to hacker attack on Lockheed Martin; other US military contractors may be affected
• Too Young for Kindergarten? Tide Turns Against 4-Year-Olds
  With a late October birthday, I was four when I started Kindergarten… and I think I turned out alright. Being the youngest in my class never really bothered me.
• Saudi woman wants to give women the right to drive in her country
• 

• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” AND the “Only in Utah…” files comes: Headline of the Week: “Horse herpes outbreak forces rodeo queens to ride stick ponies”
• Anchor from Blackbeard’s ship raised after 293 years off North Carolina coast
  The first thing that came to mind when I read this was, “I wonder if raising the anchor has anything to do with the new Pirates movie coming out…?”
• Blue Angels commander steps down after subpar performance
• 

• A 911 Call That Can Save a Sirloin, and The Griller’s Ego
  • Goodbye Food Pyramid, Hello Dinner Plate
• The Slow, Strange Death of the Demo

Namaste.

Friday – 27 May 2011
It’s my 9/80 day off… and it’s the start of a four-day weekend. I’m good with that. I’m looking forward to a bit of downtime this weekend.

Last night, SaraRules! and I hit the local Noodles & Company for dinner, ran a few errands and then came home for a quiet evening in. I fired up the 360 and tried my hand at the CoD: Black Ops mission that’s been kicking my ass for the past little while. I finally had to look up some hints online. Same result, but I think I finally figured out what I need to do differently. (Aside from the general “not get killed” concept.)

This morning, I slept in… until 8:15. Hey, it’s later than my normal mornings, so it counts as “sleeping in.” After seeing SaraRules! off to work – and puttering around the house for a bit – I dragged my sorry carcass out of the house and into the gym for the first time in [REDACTED]! I have witnesses to prove it — I ran into ‘s dad and former coworker/current co-gamer Josh. Today’s workout consisted of:

• Elliptical: 20 mintues/Level 3/Random, pacing between 5.0 and 5.5 MPH
• Bench Press: 3 sets/8 reps, 135 lbs.  (Gotta start somewhere…)
• Curls (dumbbell, seated): 3 sets/10 reps, 20 lbs
• Lateral Raises (with Flys): 2 sets/10 reps, 10 lbs
• Shoulder Press (dumbbell): 3 sets/8 reps, 30 lbs
• Flys: 3 sets/8 reps, 100 lbs

Not too bad for the first workout in a while. It’s my One Little Victory of the morning.

Stray Toasters

• SaraRules! found – and sent – a link to an alternate version of Starfish and Coffee. I like it.
• Union Pacific’s Great Excursion Adventure is under way!
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Tiki Barber under fire for outrageous Anne Frank comparison
• 
• 2011 Twilight Concert Series Announced
• I caught this item, Christopher Meloni responds to my SVU comic, by way of Comics Alliance yesterday. What cracked me up was the following:
  

  I got the email at work, and as soon as I read it, I said “HOLY SHIT” pretty loudly (and I then had to explain the whole thing to my boss, because you don’t get to say something like that and then say, “Oh, nothing”). First, I was excited because Christopher Meloni is totally rad (if you somehow have not seen Wet Hot American Summer, what is wrong with you?). Second, I was even more excited that Ice T had seen my comic and apparently liked it; I had assumed that if he ever saw my comic, he’d tell me to eat a hot bowl of dicks. (Thanks, Ice T, for not telling me to do that! Because I would have done it, out of respect. Respect and fear.)

  What made it curious was that the “…eat a hot bowl of dicks” part had a link attached to it. That bore investigation. The link led to was: Ice-T to Aimee Mann: ‘Eat a Hot Bowl of Dicks’, which was apparently the Twitter equivalent of a drive-by. And the account was hilarious. It almost made me want to sign up for a Twitter account. Almost.

• 
• Shore Things: 12 Essentials for Every Man’s Beach Bag
• Passenger coached to fly plane after pilot incapacitated
• When Children’s Scribbles Hide a Prison Drug
• 
• Study Questions Treatment Used in Heart Disease
• Mahna Mahna…
  (do-DO-do-do-do)

Time to find some lunch and get on with the day.

Monday – 23 May 2011
Monday. You know it’s going to be “a day” when you come in to four-hundred-sixty-five (yes, that’s “465”) emails. That is not what I consider an auspicious start to the day. Fortunately, I stopped at the local Beans & Brews for a 32-ounce cup of frozen mocha goodness… with a triple shot o’ espresso.

Last night, SaraRules! and I took my friend, Ron, to Cafe Med for dinner. I had the Turkish Yogurt Pasta and dolmas. And they were good. Unfortunately, the restaurant was out of Akbar Mashti. Instead, we hit the local Super Target, picked up a couple of flavors of ice cream and headed home. Ron and I wound up chatted into the wee hours of the morning — hence, this morning’s triple-shot-laden bit of liquid fuel. But, it was a great way to spend the evening.

Stray Toasters

• Mother Nature mocks me. Yet again. She refuses to let my lawn dry out enough to mow. Soon, I’ll need a machete – not to be confused with Machete – to mow my lawn.
• Talk Show Ends, and Oprah Moves On
• Minister not seen after apocalypse fails
• Thanks to Skott for making me think about this song… even though this isn’t the Batman movie that it was taken from:

• What I’ve Learned About Fatherhood
  • What I’ve Learned Archive
• Is Anti-White Bias a Problem?
• Automotive Black Boxes, Minus the Grey Area
• 
• Warner Bros. TV CEO on Wonder Woman’s future: ‘We haven’t given it a lot of thought.’
  • Even if it didn’t fit NBC’s lineup, I think that they could/should have tried shopping it to USA Network (you know, with that whole “Characters Welcome” thing…) or maybe even SyFy.
  • What Might Have Been: A Look at Those Wonder Woman Shorts
  • Podcast Review of the Actual Wonder Woman Pilot
• Police Seek New Ways to Defuse Tension

The show must go on…!

Namaste.